


Holding hands with Jealousy

by Hicchan



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Humor, M/M, canonverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-29 01:53:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17798879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hicchan/pseuds/Hicchan
Summary: Ikuya is jealous, Hiyori is oblivious, Kisumi is delighted, Asahi is an idiot, Makoto and Haru are there.





	Holding hands with Jealousy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sagesprouts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sagesprouts/gifts).



"I understand Marron is Shiina's sister's café," Hiyori says while zipping up his bag, the swimsuit he used during practice safely stowed in a waterproof pouch to be washed at home "but that gets old. There are thousands of good cafes in Tokyo they haven't visited, I'm just saying they're limiting their possibilities by sticking to just one place."

Ikuya, bare-chested and still in the middle of dressing, turns towards Hiyori with a hand on his hip in what can only be defined as a sassy pose.

He's been doing that a lot lately and every time he witnesses it Hiyori feels a surge of joy in his chest from how cute that sight is. It's Ikuya's real, adorable personality, the one that during the years they've spent together he's seen shine through shily and guardedly behind the self-imposed serious exterior he had built. He's been showing that side of himself more openly in the couple of months that have passed since he started talking with Nanase and the others again.  
It's bittersweet, really. He likes to think there's nothing more important than Ikuya's happiness, but the fact that he wasn't the one who could bring that happiness to him... hurts.

In the end, he couldn't become his hero's hero.

  
"You don't have to come if you don't want to." Ikuya says, shaking him from his thoughts.  
  
Of course Hiyori wants to. Not only he wants to spend as much time as he can with Ikuya, but he's also found himself actually enjoying his friends' company.

He starts making Ikuya's bag while he finishes getting dressed.  
"No, it's ok, I have something to talk about with Shigino anyways."

Ikuya's head emerges from his t-shirt, his adorably messy hair make Hiyori's fingers itch to touch it and fix it.  
"Kisumi again..." he mumbles, half-pouting at his locker.

Hiyori laughs lightly "He's a bit too much for you Ikuya, isn't he? I actually don't mind him, although I have to say he can be too touchy-feely sometimes."

Ikuya gives him a pointed look, then takes his bag from his hands and walks out without a word. Hiyori follows him, laughing again.

"Cute."

\---  
  
When they get to the café, Tachibana is the only one waiting for them at their usual table. He lifts his eyes from what is probably an assignment and greets them with a smile.  
"Hi guys! Haru and Asahi are on their way!"  
  
He likes Tachibana. He is the only one who hasn't tried to call him by his first name, and the only one he would actually let.  
  
Hiyori sits down and places his and Ikuya's bags out of the way under the table.

"What about Shigino? We're supposed to talk  about Saturday's match."

"Ah, I think he will come? I have some questions about it as well, his messages weren't very clear..."

Hiyori sneers "His messages are just cryptic 'You'll see!'s and winky emojis with stars thrown in between, he's doing it on purpose to have an excuse to meet up"

Tachibana laughs lightly but doesn't have anything to say to that.

Akane approaches the table with an exasperated smile. "It seems like my little brother is making you wait again, uh? Do you guys want to order in the meantime?"

Before thinking of answering for himself, Hiyori throws a glance at Ikuya, who looks up from his phone with a slight frown.  
"A pistachio and chocolate shake, please." the boy says, blinking away the sullen expression and giving Akane a small smile.

"The usual, got it. Toono-kun?"

"An iced coffee." he smiles pleasantly "Thank you Akane-san."

"As long as you pay you're all very welcome." she leans over their table with a conspiratorial smile "To tell you the truth, since you all started coming, there's been an increase in young patrons” she casts a quick glance at a group of high schoolers sitting at a nearby table “Especially girls who come to look at all these cute boys" she winks "Please don't tell my brother though, I don't want him to get too full of himself"

As if summoned, Shiina enters the café, followed by Nanase and Shigino. He spots them.  
"Ah, they're here already, see?"

Tachibana, who was looking pretty embarrassed by the idea that girls could have any interest in him, immediately lits up.

“Hi guys!” he smiles as he gathers his things to make space for the others “Haru, how was practice?”  
Nanase sits down next to him, his brow just slightly furrowed, and that seems enough for Tachibana to let out a soft laugh.  
“Which style?”  
“Back.” his frown becomes a tiny smile directed to Tachibana only “So it wasn't so bad.”

Hiyori has no idea what those two are talking about, but one thing has become increasingly clear since he started hanging out with them: those two are in love.  
He doesn't know if they're aware of it themselves, but he has no doubt about it.

Ikuya has noticed too and seems to have given up on his childhood crush on Nanase.  
He hasn’t told Hiyori directly - they have actually never talked about it at all - but there’s been one conversation that made Hiyori pretty certain that is the case.

 

 _“Do you think they're in love?” Ikuya had asked him one evening after joint practice, his gaze lingering on Nanase and Tachibana's retreating figures._  
_“Who?” Hiyori had asked, knowing perfectly well who Ikuya was referring to._  
_“Haru and Makoto. They look like a couple, don't they?”_  
_“Ah, yeah, I guess they do.”_ _  
“I'm kind of envious. It seems nice, being in love like that.” he had smiled at him, his beautiful features tinted orange by the sunset light “Doesn't it?”_

 

Now, Ikuya and Nanase are talking animatedly - on Ikuya's part - about their training regimen, and Hiyori is proud to say he doesn't feel any kind of jealousy. Maybe. 

Before he can put that thought to test, Shigino starts talking to him from the other side of the table.

 

“Too-no-kun!” he sing-songs “I entered our street basketball team into a tournament!”

Hiyori blinks.

“You did what now?”

“Eeeeh, Kisumi, a tournament? Are we ready for something like that? I thought we were just playing for fun!”

Even Shiina seems taken aback.  
“You never mentioned anything like that! Won’t it be a problem with our university’s team?”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry!” he produces a flyer from his bag “See? It’s just a tournament between neighbourhoods!”

Ikuya leans over to read it. “The first prize is a romantic dinner… for two?”

Shiina blushes - which would be endearing if Hiyori didn’t know him and Shigino are way past the holding hands phase - and turns to his boyfriend.  
“W-who” he stammers “who are you going to use it with??”

Shigino laughs but before he can answer, Hiyori butts in, just because he enjoys fucking with Shiina.  
“It’s only fair he shares the prize with one of his teammates, of course.” he leans over the table towards Shigino, and in doing so he presses slightly against Ikuya, enough to feel the heat coming from his body.  
“And that one teammate is going to be me, right Shigino? We all know I’m your favourite.” he smiles at Tachibana “No offence.”

“None taken… I guess?”

Shiina seems riled up already.  
“Hey, who says you’re his favourite?!” he asks in an indignant voice, then gasps and turns to Kisumi with horror in his features “Is he??”

Shigino outright laughs in his face, so loud the girls from two tables over stop talking to look at them.  
“Ooh, Asahi, you’re so cute”

“Cu-”

“But look” Shigino points at the fine print on the flyer “Here it says that EVERY PLAYER of the winning team gets a dinner for two!”

Shiina deflates immediately.  
“Oh. Then you’re going with me?”

Shigino smiles sweetly.  
“Of course, silly Asahi!”

Hiyori decides it’s time to call his bluff.  
“I’m sorry, it’s just sooo fun teasing you Shiina.” he smiles politely, but it’s clear he’s making fun of him “You get jealous very easily, it’s pretty entertaining.”

Shiina doesn’t look amused “You’re not sorry at all! Also” he points at Ikuya “your boyfriend looked jealous too!”

 

 _Boyfriend._  

_Jealous._

_Jealous boyfriend?_

 

Hiyori’s head snaps towards Ikuya, because _what-_

 

He finds him petrified. He’s wide-eyed and blushing, quickly becoming redder and redder, his gaze fixed on Shiina.

 

Shigino sighs and puts a hand on Shiina’s shoulder.

“Uh, what-”

“Sssh. Don’t say anything else. I love you but you’re an idiot.”

Nanase isn’t saying anything, but he’s looking at Shiina with surprisingly clear disappointment on his face.

 

And Hiyori doesn’t know what to do. Doesn’t know what’s happening.

Shiina called Ikuya ‘Hiyori’s boyfriend’. He said he looked jealous.

Did he?

He wasn't paying attention. He's always paying attention, but this time he wasn't.

Right now, Ikuya looks embarrassed, _caught_ -

 

But is it really that? Or is it only that he doesn’t like people thinking they're a couple?

Oh no, it's his fault isn't it. He acts in a way that made Shiina think they are together. He did this to Ikuya. He fucked up. Oh shit he fucked up. Everyone knows he's in love with Ikuya, of course they do. Ikuya must know too.

 

But still, his reaction isn't the reaction of someone who knows his best friend is in love with him. It's the reaction of someone who has been caught on his own feelings.

Maybe?

Or is it wishful thinking?

Hiyori’s stupid heart is trying to hope, but it shouldn't right?

 

Also, Ikuya is clearly feeling put on the spot, so he should redirect the attention of everyone on something else. He should, but he can't think of anything, can't take his eyes away from Ikuya's blush, can't-

 

It's Tachibana who breaks the silence.

“Ah, b-but guys, you don't even know if we'll win, aren't you thinking too far ahead?”

Shigino plays along in the change of focus.  
“Don't worry Makoto, we are a pretty good team! And who knows, maybe they'll see how tall we are and immediately give us the match!”

Hiyori manages to put up his mask again and speak.  
“Tachibana, are you saying you're not strong enough?” he even smiles, that fake smile that's so so useful “Or are you implying that I, the latest addition to the team, will slow you all down?”

Shigino and Shiina laugh, now used to the way Hiyori jokes, and Tachibana answers by pouting slightly and giving him the flattest look someone like him can manage.

In that moment Akane brings them their orders, and the conversation moves on to other topics.

 

The tension at the table goes down, and Hiyori feels the slightest relief. Now that everyone else is not paying attention to them anymore, he can concentrate on Ikuya.

It's easy, really.

His whole body can feel him, his heat, his tension.  
He's hyper-aware of his movements - or lack thereof - and his breath. The sweet smell of his body wash and his shampoo.  
The point where their thighs are still touching feels hot and electric and his mind can't help but paying attention to those few centimetres.  
He can't even taste the coffee he's drinking.

Ikuya, on his part, is nervously biting his straw, and Hiyori isn't even sure he has drunk any of his shake.  
His left hand is curled on his thigh, tightly clenching the fabric of his jeans, and Hiyori feels another pang of guilt when he notices how tense he still is.

He wonders if it's because he wants to get away from him, or because he's thinking about how to let him down.

 

( _Or maybe he's embarrassed because his jealousy has been exposed_ , says the hopeful voice in his head. He chooses to ignore it.)

 

Hiyori wishes he could tell him he doesn't have to worry, that it's ok, that he's sorry he ever acted in a way that made someone think they're a couple, that it's all his fault, that he'll stop, he'll just stop.

 

 _(Ikuya has been acting like they're boyfriends too though_ , the voice insists)

 

( _It isn't the first time he's looked jealous_ , the voice reminds him)

 

What if. What if, really.

 

He glances at Ikuya, while pretending to be part of the table's conversation.

He sees he's now trying to pay attention to what his friends are saying, his eyes moving from one to the other, but his back is rigid and his hand is still in a fist, his knuckles standing out against his taut skin.

 

He doesn't know what comes over him.

He doesn't even take a breath to prepare himself.

He doesn't give himself the time to think and stop.

 

He puts his hand on Ikuya's.

  
  


The table disappears. The voices, the café, the city.  
There's only Ikuya's sharp inhale, and the way his hand tightens even more for a second before relaxing.

His slow, trembling exhale.

His skin, his bones. His tendons.

The way his fingers slowly uncurl under his touch.

 

Hiyori is not thinking, he's just feeling. All his senses are concentrated on their hands.

He caresses the back of Ikuya’s hand with his thumb, from his wrist to his fingers. It's delicate at first, but he soon starts putting strength into it, massaging the tension away.

He feels Ikuya's hand moving and for a second his heart sinks in dread, but then their fingertips touch and it's like pure electricity is passing through them.  
Ikuya is reciprocating his touch. They're circling each other's fingertips, caressing their palms, the sensitive skin on the inside of their wrists.

It's the most intimate thing that has ever happened to him.

Ikuya's touch gets bolder and so does Hiyori's, they're pressing against each other, craving friction, heat.  
Getting to touch Ikuya's skin like this has opened a hungry, bottomless pit inside of him, he wants this moment to last forever, but he also wants, no _needs_.

 

MORE.

 

Ikuya interlocks their fingers and squeezes his hand, and Hiyori lets out a gasp.

He's suddenly extremely aware of where they are, of what just happened, of the others trying not to stare at him after that sound he made.

Before he can think of combusting and die, he hears Ikuya clearing his throat.  
He looks at him and finds him still blushing and nervous, but in a different way than before.  
He clears his throat again, this time catching the attention of the rest of the guys, who keep their conversation going but more slowly and distractedly.

Ikuya is looking at his shake when he speaks.

“Bo… boyfriend.”

Everyone stops chatting, apart from Hiyori who stops breathing altogether.

“Boyfriend.” Ikuya repeats, and Hiyori finally understands he's calling him (him???) and is expecting an answer.

 

He hesitates.

Breathes in, breathes out.

 

“... yes?” 

He can _feel_ everyone's eyes on him.

 

“Could you pass me my bag please?”

 

In a stupor, Hiyori obeys him, his right hand still in Ikuya's.  
Ikuya rummages in the bag until he manages to take out his wallet and open it with a just one hand.  
He puts some money on the table, puts the wallet away and gets up, never letting go of Hiyori's hand.

“Me and MY BOYFRIEND need to go now.” he pulls him up and Hiyori follows without resisting “See you!”

Hiyori doesn't even manage to excuse himself or say anything really, but while he's pulled up from his seat he catches a glimpse of Shigino's face, who looks like he's witnessing the best thing ever.

Outside, Ikuya lets go of his hand, but before Hiyori can start thinking he just imagined everything he turns to him apologetically, his ears and cheeks endearingly red.

“Sorry, I just don't know how you feel about PDA in the middle of Tokyo.” Ikuya explains “Do you want to come to my apartment to talk about” he grazes his hand “this?”

“Yes.” is Hiyori's immediate answer. Of course he wants to.

Ikuya beams.

“Good! Let’s go then!” he says happily, then walks ahead, his steps close to skipping. 

Hiyori laughs, despite still feeling like he's dreaming and he's soon going to wake up.

 

“Cute.”


End file.
